fiestaturbo.com

[Michael!]

I know its another non ford but i need to make progress thread anyway.

Bought this on a whim off my friends drive it needed the rear turret welding up and some major tlc everywhere else! it had no interior as the lad had had it for his jetta, no suspension as that went to the same car, no wheels BUT being a j (91) reg it did have all the refinements of a modern car along with the 80's image that everyone recognizes such as electric windows, alarm immobilizer, power steering, remote central locking which were all factory!

The paint work was seriously suffering as it was laid up for at least 9 months in the harsh winter months in blackpool, which resulted in a flat finish that looked like this;

So off came the door handles!








you can see its was properly f**cked but i had faith!

anyway with it not being taxed or welded up we couldnt move it to wash it, so out came the buffer and g3 along with several 3 stage polishes and waxes and even a claying!

this turret was the problem, you cant see it here because the top is resting on it but it had basically just popped off


here it is


the electrics i mentioned were a bit messed up so i cracked on and eventually everything worked!





the interior fitted.







i liked how clean this was;



so anyway, after a full service, belts and all - a million polishes, a full interior for £25, a set of coilovers for £50 and a set of very temporary wheels the thing is ready to roll for next friday all for less than £300! i have wheels, new badges and a fair few other bits and bobs to make it as standard looking as possible (besides the wheels and lows).


some pictures of how it stands now!

[Ratspeed]

Came up really well. Now,work your magic on the black bits.
Deffo needs a wheel change, they are awful

[Michael!]

Cheers Matt, I've got some bumper gel and some poor boys s**t to sort it out!

The wheels are the only Others I have with tyres so needs must, I've got a set of 'axis og sans' 15x8's that just need tyres and will look proper I think

[Smo]

You've done really well with that, good work!

[Michael!]

cheers man! little bit more to do like but hopefully will all turn up mint!

[Michael!]

bought my coilovers today! £40 and my suspension - bargain as theyre nearly new!

also, sorted tyres out for my new wheels which should be friday!



if i tax it on the 30th will i loose a month (you get me) someone mentioned leaving it until the 1st ?! thats bollox isnt it?

[Smo]

Pretty sure you'll lose the month!

[Rs Adz]

i like that il have to pop round and have a look at some point well done on getting it to the point you have any more plans once its on the road

[Rs Adz]

o and wot have you done with the polo

[Michael!]

The polo is still daily use and is sticking about. This is out onfriday so you can come see it whenever Adam!

[Michael!]

Flatted the paint today to machine polish it's life off, gonna prevent any future fade as best as.

Tornado pink FTL


One of my new sets of wheels!






Also lowered it more incase you can't tell haha, 195/45 on an 8j = perfect!

[Ratspeed]

They look great! Now run a machine over your paint!!

Oh, and stretched tyres will make you crash at the 1st corner

[Fraggle]

Mate hope this advice helps..

Flatting paint..

1. Determine what the paint is..
Pretty sure its whats known as auto-laq, shouldnt bleed, if so its 2k so will.
2. DO NOT compound straight on to it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
3. If you have access to a compressor, 1st remove all fittings/trims/mask up all open seams/trim. then Grab a DA sander and a couple of packs of these https://www.google.co.uk/aclk?sa=l&ai=C ... s_id%3D644 in 2000 & 4000 Grit.

4. soak pads well and keep wetting,go over with 2k pads gently till what little shine left has gone, clean with water, then check all shines gone, work across panels,in a snake pattern,edge to edge.
5.If shine gone repeat with the 4K Pads to start to bring shine back..It WONT glisten but will look ALOT less flat!!
6. get 3M Cutting compound,3M polishing compound and 3m GLAZE, Some medium&fine compound MOP pads and a pack of these https://www.google.co.uk/shopping/produ ... IsBEPMCMAk for glazing.
7. apply compound to mop pad medium, in figure 8 pattern,bout the thickness of a blast of toothpaste on ya brush and keep a spray bottle of water handy, as compound will paste, use water to thin it out...Proceed till you can see even colour appearing across panel. 2-3 FIGURE 8'S SHOULD BE ENOUGH, clean PADS OUT BETWEEN PANELS!!
8. Clean away residue when done,dry,now onto polish..
9. Same as above, but tbh water aint needed, Polish with fine pad till you see a nice even shine(be a bit hazy but should be starting to glass shine back at you)..then once happy(tbh its hard to describe just easier to show/do..)Clean up residue,Buffy off excess..
10 glaze time..Use pad above, apply generously and gently work into paint untill a VERY FINE haze left..then hand buffy up..SHOULD NOW SHINE LIKE A PIN.

Then simply let it rest.
THAT is a VERY VERY quick guide mate, but if you just compound onto that old paint it'll just be cloudy,flat,and if unlucky go white

Be gently with pressure on equipment, let it and the products do the work, and keep speed sensible, being very gently on edge's!!!! and DO NOT do this in direct sunlight, do it in shade an cool day!!

COAT with wax to seal next day.

The rims will look sweet, but do LOOSE some stretch, it'll be in a ditch if a drop of rain comes

HTH mate

[andymac]

Hah.

That paint will be pink again in a few weeks, only way to fix it permanently is to paint it, it UV bleaches very, very quickly. It's also remarkably soft, be very careful machine polishing it - we've gotten to primer through elbow grease alone.

Unless some sort of miracle occurs, that drop is going to f**k up your tyres and arches and those arches are hard to replace if they get damaged. The 8j's will also show up any handling defects like nothing you've ever known.

Early jobs should include getting the weighted gear linkage (or add on weight), replacing the gear linkage bushes, the golf ball on the bottom of the gearstick and swapping the wishbone bushes with R32/TT items (don't bother with polybushes, there's no give and they're expensive). I'd chuck the bee-sting too personally, it's an 8v after all...

The electric windows are usually retrofitted and often badly - I'm still amazed that |VW chose to run all the current for the motors through those switches.

[Gus!!]

I still think these look better with no plastic arches and skinny bumpers. And don't listen to them, a mate of mine has 175's on 8j and he's still alive!!

[Michael!]

Cheers Ben, the paint ruined though like Andys just said its very soft and I've managed to polish down to primer by hand in a few bits

Andy, I fitted the weighted shifter from a mk3! Makes so much Difference! I'm after a new ball for the linkage when I get paid next and bottom arms were also on my list. The beesting is disconnected and will be f**cked off next month too as I hate it.
My tyres are getting f**cked but that can't be helped, it's inoy this low because the coilovers on it are f**cked. The moron who had it has grinded a coil out of the spring rather than adjust it so they need replacing ASAP.
The windows were from factory though theyre on the sticker in the boot... There is a lot of bad wiring Im still to sort out though.

Also there's nothing wrong with the stretch at all and I won't be hooning it any time soon as the heater matrix pisses boiling water into the footwells I've got another to fit this week...

[andymac]

Might have a spare bottom shift kit for the golf somewhere, they're only a few quid from GSF so if I can find it, you can have it for cost of postage.

Also wasn't dissing the stretch (though it's not my cuppa if I'm honest), but wide wheels on those cars really do make any handling deficiencies show something rotten. Cat had BBS RM's on hers and, while it drove fantastic when the tracking and geometry was bang on, the slightest bump would move it out and it would handle like a sack-o-s**t.

Got factory RAs on now with front suspension polybushed and / or uprated rubber bushes. Rear beam needs doing next and, when that's done, it'll be absolutely bang on. It's a proper cracking drive, just a bit lacking in poke when I jump in after driving something with a touch more oomph. Hoping to do something about that next year though, rover will be playing catch-up in a big way then.

You can get bushes cheaply from euro car parts, they're press in / press out - get the R32 / TT bushes for about 7 quid each and polybush cotton reels for the longitudal bushes for something similar. Tonnes cheaper than new arms and will last an awful lot longer - the FAI arms that are on now were new five years ago...

[Michael!]

Yeah man if you could do that ha every little helps!

This had ra's on when it was bought by my mate, but he took them for his other golf tbh I'd have them back over these... I have to say though it looks awesome in person I'll get some better pictures tomorrow.

Erm Im getting polybushes bottom arms off my polo and arb bushes etc too... I want rear polybushes next also as it feels a bit boat like, needs new coilovers too as the ones on it are f**cked.

[Michael!]

WELLLLL
ive had a good 2 weeks with it now and ive had a chance to assess it while driving it;

heater matrix has cured itself, still have a spare though 'just in case'
water level still fluctuates more than id like
thermostat needs replacing
rear coilovers are shagged
all 4 tyres are tug in all conditions
tracking is out
mfa doesnt work, maybe due to wiring, could be anything though.


BUT all 4 wheels are on the ground
its polished and will continue to be polished until its back to its former glory
all plastics have come up well mint!
im taking the coilovers off my 6n2 to put on here as theyre brand new and i can make them fit
its getting the polybushed bottom arms off that too
4 fudgekin decent tyres are on order on payday!
will be tracked and balanced after those are fitted and hopefully get rid of the wobble i have over 50mph


Sitting pretty in front of our reimo t4!

also, im in the market for an old austin fx4/fariway driver - dont ask why i just have a need for one. i want one to mint up and experiment with, also to got camping in on the odd weekend.

also as ive got a stereo with an aux in port on the front and its started to piss me off that my phone is flying around the car when im driving as it doesnt have a place to go!

so ive removed the center console and im going to piss about at fitting an old ipod upto it and a 6n2 cup holder to the ashtray, as i dont plan on smoking in the car, ever and i have a spare!


this is a rough idea of what im aiming for dock wise;




offset to the right so its not completly in the way and i can reach the skip button without too much effort!
planning on cutting the middle of the facia off the ashtray and slotting a cup holder in and plastic welding it, wont be the tidiest to start with but should end up a winner for my motorway trips!

[Rs Adz]

coming on well mate give us a txt when your free il pop round to see this in the flesh always liked a good vw

[Michael!]

you'll have to text me mate ive lost everyones number when my phone updated.

[Dave G fsi]

Awesome car mate, always loved a good mk2

[Michael!]

Updates updates updates!

I've gotten bored of the shonky handling with it so it's going in on Sunday to have the wheel alignment done and also have these bad lads fitted for the winter - rainsport2's


Also a while ago, well, 6 months ago I sent my recaros off to be retrimmed in a more neutral colour - I have them back and tomorrow they'll be in the golf - ford flair in the vw!


And here she is being all sexy

[Gus!!]

I have heard that rainsports are good in the dry too?? Any ideas if they do them in 186/60/13's?? Also i like the retrimmedness, bet that was expensive??

[Michael!]

im yet to experience them mate, no one local to me wants to fit them to my 8j's... even though i currently have 45's fitted...

recaros are in, but arent mounted good at all, because of the design of the runners im sat touching the roof... so they'll be out and ive had to buy another set of seats haha.

sold the polo today too

[Rs Adz]

gutted about the polow il send u a txt now bet your gutted about the frst seats

[andymac]

Got Rainsport2s on the golf now, 195/50/15s - absolutely cracking value for money tyre.

Lots and lots places for coolant leaks on those things too, there's o-rings on the front and right hand sides of the block that are a PITA to get a seal on. Rad and matrix aren't too expensive if push comes to shove though, GSF are cheap enough.

EDIT : Going back to polybushes, bear in mind the wishbone design changed at one time, so you have to be certain to get the right bush. Most aftermarket arms use the later design, so you need to be certain the bushes will fit (which is why I used R32 bushes instead).

[Michael!]

yeah ive gone for 195/50's and they really are - dare i say, the best value for money tyre out there... glad i opted for these instead of toyo's.

sold my recaros, changed to winter wheels and s**t... and bought a third interior out of a driver because it is THE comfiest fudgekin interior i have ever parked my arse on.







please note how shiney it is now!

also this;


mk1 jetta 1.6d

[rsturbonutter]

did I pass this today on the m4 just passed slough London bound

[rsturbonutter]

Looked very clean and the wheels make it stand out. Have had a few mk2's in the past one of the best drivers cars I've ever owned still have a soft spot for them

[MK4 Rick]

Mint looking golf mate what else have you got planned for it

[Michael!]

did I pass this today on the m4 just passed slough London bound

i live like 6 hours away from there mate, golfs not that quick

cheers though!

erm yeah i have a few plans for it, ill not air it on here just yet, until theres actually something on the go.

[Michael!]

I've been a busy boy lately!

found that the housing on my gearbox that holds the release bearing had a bit rusty gap in it and it was causing my gearbox to lose oil, me being me left it and it started to whine in 5! so motorway driving home from the trafford centre last saturday 5th went, awesome.

2 trips to preston later, 2nd is on its way and 3rd wont be far behind so... ive bought the polo back.

ive been amasing parts for a build for over xmas when im off work which hopefully ill have sorted by the back end of feb and in the car running!

engine spec will be;

2.0 Mk3 AGG bottom end
1.8 PB head, ported and polished, bigger valves (exhaust from 33mm to 35mm!)
standard digifant managment
newman 272 cam
4-2-1 through to the full stainless i have.
16v hubs and calipers
Mk3 gearbox
some new fancy wheels
probably another interior.


hit me.

[Rs Adz]

hope you get it sorted have you got the polow back yet

[Michael!]

engine plans have changed, got offered a complete mk3 abf that i couldnt refuse.

yep polos parked outside work as we speak!